


More than What the Eye Can See

by WolfWinks



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, NCIS
Genre: Angst, Bank Robbery, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Gen, Honeymoon, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Racist Language, Subtle Magic Use, Terrorists, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-10
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-04-21 01:15:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14273754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WolfWinks/pseuds/WolfWinks
Summary: Harry and Ginny are on their honeymoon when Harry stops into a bank to check their accounts. It's a simple choice, but one that will change everything for the couple. When Ziva and Tony join Harry in the bank, things take a dramatic turn and Harry is left wondering "why me?" (also posted on fanfiction.net)





	1. Introductions Good and Bad

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own NCIS or Harry Potter, but I do own this story.
> 
> I posted this on fanficiton.net a while ago but I wanted to start posting works on here and thought this would be a way to ease myself into the new format. I hope you all enjoy.

Harry held a hand out to help Ginny, his new wife, out of the taxi. They'd arrived in Washington DC for the first week of their four-month honeymoon two days ago. The hotel was spectacular and they'd spent long hours through the night enjoying it, but their days were filled with wandering and sightseeing. Harry had never felt so carefree before in his life, and his wife was letting him experience the freedom while he could.

"So, Mrs Potter—"

"I love hearing you say that."

Harry smiled, forgetting what he was going to say. "I love saying it," he said, wrapping his arm around his wife's waist.

Ginny snuggled close as they walked down the street, just enjoying each other's company. As they passed a small bank, Harry pulled Ginny to a stop.

"Hold on, I need to check our account. The  _bank managers_  said our money should be transferred by now, and we're starting to run low on American cash."

Ginny glanced around and saw no one even looking at them strangely. It was a relief that Harry knew so much about the Muggle world. Ginny would be lost without him. "Okay, I'll just wait out here. I'm enjoying the sun," she said, waving to a nearby park bench, knowing that Harry wanted to make sure he knew where she was. He'd been a little paranoid after the war.

Harry nodded and pressed a kiss on his wife's lips (he couldn't stop doing that) and entered the bank with a dopey, loved up smile spread all over his face.

* * *

 Ziva strode through the bank doors with one purpose in mind. Find the manager of the bank, Keith Harrison, and arrest him. She hoped he resisted arrest just so she could show him how much she hated him. Tony was following Ziva at a more subdued pace, a cheeky grin on his face and Gibbs and McGee were outside, waiting on standby if they needed backup.

"If you wanted to use handcuffs so badly, all you had to do was ask," Tony said when he noticed her fingering the handcuffs by her side.

Ziva didn't bother to respond to her partner's joke, though she did stop fiddling. The case was affecting Ziva more than it should. Harrison was stealing from his bank, sending money into a company that McGee discovered as fake, something that George McCray, a teller at the bank with skills in computer science, discovered, exposing the deceit. He confronted his boss and threatened to go to the police, so Harrison killed him. That may have been the end of it, but Harrison worried that McCray had shared everything with his family. Harrison decided to fix this problem he went to the McCray household and killed McCray's wife, Lieutenant Commander Amy McCray, and their sixteen-year-old daughter, Layla.

All through the case, Layla's face haunted Ziva. She'd been reminded of her beautiful little sister who'd died all those years ago. It grated on her nerves how callous Harrison acted. They'd interviewed him, and he'd shed a tear for the family.

He killed them then had the nerve to act upset by their deaths! Ziva just couldn't understand it.

"Okay, Ziva. Stop for a second," Tony said when Ziva's hands clenched as the thought ran through her head. He grabbed her arm, but Ziva shrugged it off. She moved past the line of people in the bank, accidentally knocking into a dark-haired man about her height. She didn't bother apologising, but she heard Tony apologise for her.

"That's it. Officer David, stop." Tony stood in front of her, and Ziva glared at him for the action.

"Move out of my way."

"No. If you continue to act like this, NCIS will be facing a lawsuit and you will lose your job when you kill the man."

Ziva scoffed and crossed her arms. "The man deserves death. If this was Mossad—"

"But it isn't, and you have to play by NCIS’s rules now."

Ziva felt her eyebrow twitch, but her shoulders slumped ever so slightly. "Fine, I will follow your lead, but if he makes a break for it, I get to make the shot."

Tony shook his head, but the smile playing on his lips made her relax just that little bit more. His smile always managed to make her feel better no matter the situation.

"Alright, now that's sorted, let's—"

"Watch out!"

The call came too late because as soon as the yell echoed around the bank, Tony was knocked over the head with the butt of a gun and he dropped to the floor like a limp sack. Ziva pulled her gun free but paused when the same gun to knock her partner out was held against the head of a fourteen-year-old girl who'd been pulled away from her mother. Screams that had been running around the bank, came to a halt at the action.

"Everyone get on your knees with your hands behind your head. You," Harrison said, nodding at an older gentleman near the front doors of the bank with a security badge on. "Lock the doors and then let that woman secure you to them."

The older gentleman and the singled out woman did what they were told. The man looked extremely uncomfortable attached to the door with his hands above his head, but he didn't complain. Most of the other people in the bank didn't hesitate to drop to their knees, too scared to disobey. The mother of the young girl was crying on the floor and didn't move, but Harrison didn't seem all that worried about her. There was only one person, the man Ziva had bumped into, who hesitated, but he ended up complying without any more prompting from Harrison.

"Agent David, throw me your gun or I will shoot the girl. You know I'll do it; I've done it before."

Ziva glared at Harrison. "Why don't you drop your weapon and come peacefully."

Harrison didn't respond verbally, only pointing his gun to the ground and firing one warning shot. People around the bank screamed but quickly quietened when Harrison told them to. Ziva herself flinched, but only because the shot had been fired so close to her currently unconscious partner.

"Fine," she growled, complying with his wishes. "Let the girl go back to her mother, Harrison." Ziva could feel her knives against her side, and if she could just get the man away from the girl, she'd be able to subdue him.

"Not going to happen," Harrison snapped in an oddly controlled manner. "Grab your partner's gun and throw it over as well. Then, handcuff him to the seats over there," Harrison said, waving in the general direction of the waiting chairs in amongst all the unfortunate guests.

Ziva didn't bother arguing at this point, moving towards her partner and trying to lift him.

"Someone help her!"

Harrison didn't single anyone out, but it didn't take long for the small man to stand and move to the other side of Tony.

"Lift on three," he said, seemingly ignoring the glare Ziva was shooting him.

Ziva nodded and they managed to lift Tony and move him through the cowering crowd (who moved out of their way when necessary) and sat him down on the floor without much more difficulty. The man was stronger than he looked.

"Thank you," Ziva grunted in a whisper when Tony was lowered and secured to the chairs. She glanced at Harrison, who was watching them with piercing eyes, his hand still holding the poor girl's shoulder in a bruising grip. The girl was practically catatonic now with her eyes shut and tears slipping out every few seconds, but it wasn't the girl who Ziva was focusing on but Harrison. Something was odd about his behaviour. He was too calm for this desperate act he seemed to be pulling. There was something more going on.

"Now you," he said, waving his hand in Ziva's direction.

"What? How am I meant to handcuff myself to the bench?" Ziva really wished the man would let go of the girl. As soon as she was secured to the bench, she was a sitting goose. She might able to escape the cuffs, but she couldn't do it quickly and definitely not without Harrison noticing.

"Get him to do it."

Ziva looked at the man and her shoulders slumped. She held out her handcuffs to him.

"I'm sorry," he said as he secured Ziva to the bench.

"This is not your fault."

The man shrugged and sat back when he was done. They both glanced up at their captor, who was smirking.

"You can come in now."

Ziva frowned and glanced around, her body tensing when three large men turned the corner, all holding large rifles in their hands. There was definitely more to this case than what they first assumed.

* * *

She was soaking up the sun with her eyes closed when screams erupted from the bank. Ginny jumped up and raced forward. Knowing her husband as well as she did, he would still be in the bank and if he wasn't, he would run back in to help. She had to be with him wherever he was. She just  _had_  to.

When a sound that reminded her of apparition came from the bank, the screams started all around her from all the people who'd been staring at the bank in open curiosity before. They began running away, pushing Ginny back against her will.

She vaguely remembered something from Muggle Studies at Hogwarts about a weapon used to kill that sounded a lot like apparition, and Ginny figured that was what the sound was.  _Unless Harry's luck is really bad and a Death Eater they hadn't caught had just appeared in the bank and stole him away._

Ginny pushed through the crowds, only to see a man attached to the doors of the bank. Her shoulders slumped when she realised there was no way to get to her husband without exposing magic.

"Ma'am, you need to move back."

Ginny whipped her head around to glare at the little boy with a strange machine in his hand. He looked almost comically taken aback by the venom in her glare.

"I will not. My husband is in there."

The boy's eyes softened in sympathy, but he still grabbed Ginny's upper arm and moved her away from the bank door. "I'm sorry to hear that, but you really need to move to safety."

Ginny wanted to fight the boy off, but she knew from looking at the situation that she could do nothing more. She stared at the bank, only to spot her husband sitting with an unconscious man and a woman. Harry was attaching the woman to a chair leg. She stopped walking to the frustration of the boy.

"Ma'am—"

"It's Ginny. I'm not old," she snapped, but she didn't look at the boy. Keeping her gaze on her husband, she willed him to look her way. As if reading her thoughts, Harry looked up and locked onto her in barely a moment.

Relief practically poured out of Harry's eyes. Relief that she wasn't in there with him. Relief that  _once again_  he had to go through something dangerous  _all by himself_. Ginny wanted to scream or cry; maybe both.

"Ginny, please—"

"McGee! Get her out of here."

"I'm trying, Bo—"

"I'm not going anywhere!"

Ginny whirled on the older man and glared at him with a fire she hadn't felt since the war. "You would have to arrest me to make me leave my husband in there alone. Either keep me close or send me away in handcuffs."

She could tell these two were policemen from their actions. They were the only other people who ran towards the bank, and their movements reminded her of Aurors she'd seen in battle. If she couldn't be inside with her husband, she could be outside doing what she could to help.

Harry had turned away from her, now staring at something or someone she couldn't quite see and talking to the woman next to him. The woman was glaring in the same direction, talking back to Harry in short, one-word sentences. She looked like those Unspeakables who was assigned the 'dirty' jobs that the Ministry didn't want anyone knowing about (but of course everyone knew about them).

"Ma'am," the older man said, coming closer to the boy—McGee she thought the man said—but still keeping an eye on the bank. "You need to come behind the police tape."

"No." Ginny didn't think she needed to say anything else, only staring at the man until he coincided. She'd faced scarier and more intimidating people in her lifetime, and she'd grown up with six brothers. She wasn't backing down from this man, though she did find it hard to not turn her angry glare away from his.

The man turned away first, moving to where a car with the words FBI on the side was just arriving. "McGee!"

McGee glanced at Ginny with wide eyes and then his boss. "But—"

"Now, McGee! And you," he said, pointing his finger at Ginny. "You stay by my side and you follow all my rules, got it?"

Ginny smiled and nodded, following the man with one last glance at her husband in the bank. This was definitely an interesting way to start a honeymoon.  _When you're safe and sound in my arms, Harry, I'm going to kill you._


	2. Deception and Mysteries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Racial slurs and racism in this chapter. I don’t agree with racism in any sense. None of this is meant to offend (the fact that it’s used by the bad guy should say something)

Conversation in the bank was nonexistent at the moment except for the occasional words of comfort between hostages and the few whispered words between the men with guns. Harry had offered a few words to the woman he’d handcuffed to the chair, including his name, and learning her name in return. He’d also learned she was a federal agent, though he could have figured that one out himself before she’d fallen silent and stared at her partner. Agent David wasn’t a person who participates in small talk, apparently.

Harry glanced at the man on the ground, obviously Agent David’s partner, though he didn’t know the man’s name. The knock was a hard one, and the man would probably have a headache once he woke, but he wasn’t in any danger at the moment. A mild concussion at most. He was lucky.

The phone started ringing again. It had been ringing on and off for almost five minutes now. The sound was grating on Harry’s last nerves and he wanted to stand up and answer the damned phone himself even if it got him shot.

The man glanced over at Harry and must have seen something in his expression because he stepped forward, dragging the girl with him.

“Everyone is going to sit quietly and listen to my instructions. Don’t even try to be a hero. I promise you won’t achieve anything except a fellow hostage’s death, starting with her.”

He was still clutching the child’s arm and he shook her at the end of his spiel. The girl flinched and sobbed, whether it was the shake or the man’s words Harry didn’t know, but he wished the man would just let her go to her mother.

Harry glared at the man, knowing exactly where the spiel was directed, though the man never singled him out. It wasn’t hard to see that Harry wasn’t as scared as everyone else in the bank and that made him a threat to the men with the guns. He’d need to lay low at least for a while; lower his head and play the victim.

“Harris—”

“Shut it, Agent David. I don’t want to hear your polluted words anymore.”

_Polluted_ , Harry thought, glancing back to look at Agent David to see her clutching a necklace around her neck. A Star of David if he remembered correctly from primary school. There’d been a boy there who wore a similar necklace. He’d once been Dudley’s friend, but once Vernon and Petunia found out what religion the boy’s family had practised, they’d told Dudley the boy was another freak. He quickly became another one of Dudley’s target, second favourite and just behind Harry himself. Harry couldn’t even remember the poor boy’s religion, he just knew it wasn’t Christian and therefore it was wrong according to the Dursleys.

_Is this some kind of religion or race discrimination?_ Harry thought, immediately clenching his hands into fists, though making sure to keep his anger hidden from the men.

A low groan diverted his attention from Agent David and towards the other agent. He seemed to be waking up, and from the wrinkles on his forehead and the sounds he was making, Harry wasn’t far off on the headache assumption.

* * *

 

McGee wasn’t sure where to look. There wasn’t much to do yet; they were calling the bank but no one inside was picking up. He couldn’t help but worry about what that might mean for his partners.

He’d seen Tony being dragged away and handcuffed, which was good, in a way. If Tony was dead they wouldn’t bother with the handcuffs. On the other hand, Tony was unconscious and probably concussed. Ziva was handcuffed to the chair as well unable to move and the bank was full of hostages.

On the other hand, Gibbs had lost in a staring (glaring) contest with a twenty-year-old, red-haired, firecracker of a woman. Gibbs in completely papa bear pissed off mode, lost. That wasn’t something McGee had ever seen before, and Tony probably hadn’t either.

Tim frowned again when he thought about his partner.

“McGee!”

“Yes, Boss?”

Instead of giving a verbal command, Gibbs nodded his head towards the woman. Information gathering.

Heading towards the woman, McGee could admit to himself he felt a little fear settle in his stomach. If he didn’t work for Gibbs, the woman’s glare would be the scariest one he’d ever seen, even over Abby’s.

“Ma’am?”

“I told you, my name is Ginny.”

McGee stumbled over using the woman’s first name but didn’t offer a second name, so he continued.

“G-Ginny, then. How are you?”

She didn’t even bother to answer that question, instead turning that glare on him once again.

“Sorry. I have a few questions if you’re up for it.”

Ginny blinked and looked down, wringing her hands together before glancing up at the bank again and staring for a moment, Tim assumed she was looking for her husband. She only turned back to look at Tim when she was satisfied with what she found. “What type of questions?”

Tim looked down at the pad before looking at her again.  Some of his wariness disappeared at the look he was receiving. It was filled with fear and a desperate desire to help. Tim had no doubt that if Ginny had the choice; she’d be sitting right beside her husband in that bank instead of out here without him.

“Your husband’s full name and yours for a start. It always good to know who the hostages are in situations like this.

“Ginny Potter née Weasley. My husband’s name is Harry Potter.”

Something sharpened in her eyes as she said her husband’s name like she was expecting a reaction. Tim jotted down the names, along with his observation.

“And you’re from England?”

Ginny smiled and nodded. “We live just outside of London at the moment, but we plan to move further into the country once we get back.”

“That sounds lovely.” It really did. Tim loved the countryside, and he’d heard England was particularly impressive.

“That’s if we get back at all.”

Tim leaned forward, and with only a moment’s hesitation, laid his hand on her’s. “We are doing our very best to get him out alive. I promise we will do everything in our power. I... my partners are in there as well. Agent DiNozzo and David. I’m just as desperate to get them back as you are to get your husband back.”

Ginny looked away from Tim, but a small smile flickered onto her face for a moment. “Thank you, Agent McGee,” she said, squeezing his hand, “but I’m not worried about my husband getting out alive, I’m worried about the repercussions.”

Tim wanted to question her on her words, but at that moment Fornell behind him sat up straight and Gibbs moved forward.

“They’ve answered.”

* * *

 

Tony hated waking up with a headache. The hung-over headaches were usually worse, especially the ones after talking to his dad, but a concussion headache was a close second. He shifted around on the floor, only to be pulled short by the movement, or lack of movement, of his hands.

His eyes flew wide open at the realisation that he had handcuffs around his wrists, but he regretted the moment almost instantly.

“Too bright,” he muttered, rolling his head away from the lights of the bank.

“Tony?”

At Ziva’s voice, Tony risked opening his eyes again, this time a little slower. He saw Ziva sitting next to him, her hands also handcuffed to a chair and a man sitting next to her, staring at him with concern.

“I know you,” he muttered, staring at the man he was sure he’d seen before.

The man’s eyes widened for a single second before he let a smirk appear. “You apologised to me for your partner bumping into me.”

Tony smirked back. “Right. Ziva, you should apologise to the man.”

Ziva glared. “You are obviously fine,” she snapped without saying any apology.

The man, Tony really needed to learn his name, smiled. “I think she’s a little sore about the fact that I handcuffed her.”

Before Tony could make a single innuendo, because really that was just asking for it, Ziva turned her glare on the man.

“I told you that was not your fault.”

The man shrugged and glanced to the side before lowering his head a second before a gun appeared next to the man’s temple.

“What is with all the whispering over here?”

Tony stiffened and looked up at the man holding the gun. Harrison looked way too calm for, what Tony assumed, was a desperate act to get away with murder.

“We are not whispering,” Ziva said, but her words only angered Harrison.

“What did I say, Agent David.” Harrison pushed the gun further into the man’s temple, forcing his head lower and his neck to bend at an awkward angle.

Ziva didn’t say anything then, though he saw her hand move up to clench her Star of David. Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to puzzle out what was happening. He needed to get that gun away from the man before Harrison lost it and shot him.

“Woah, buddy, slow down a sec.” Tony inserted as much arrogant ‘class clown’ jock into his voice. This tone of voice always pissed McGee off just enough to throw a paper ball back at him but not enough to throw a punch. He hoped it worked the same here.

“Agent DiNozzo. I thought I’d knocked you out for good if you know what I mean.” Harrison smirked and the calm arrogance that infected the man’s voice made Tony edgy, but he did move the gun a little further away from the man. Progress.

“Why’d you handcuff me then if you thought I was a goner?”

“Precaution. I’ve been taught a lot these last few months and one of those lessons was to always prepare for the worse.”

“Taught?” Tony felt like he was trying to tie his shoe with no shoelaces.

The man laughed, finally pulling his gun away from the man. “You didn’t think I was working alone, did you?” The man moved a step back and looked over his shoulder at someone Tony couldn’t see. “No more whispering,” he said before sauntering off.

Tony waited until he was a decent distance away before turning to the man. “You okay?”

The man was rubbing his neck but he smiled at Tony. “There’s no bullet in my head, so I’m fine.”

“Good. Now, what the hell is going on?”

The man shrugged and Ziva lowered her eyes. “I wish I knew.”

* * *

 

Agent Tony DiNozzo’s awakening achieved at least one thing; the man let the girl he’d been holding go back to her mother. Of course, it also achieved a sore neck for Harry and another order of silence. Not that Agent DiNozzo listened to the order, but Harry felt like he didn’t listen to many orders, even from the good guys.

With Agent David, in short, and quiet words, explained to Agent DiNozzo what had been going on, Harry glanced around at the other hostages. At the bank door was the security man still handcuffed and looking more uncomfortable by the minute. Next to him was the woman who handcuffed him there. She was huddled close to him and occasionally ran her hands over his shoulders where the muscles were surly straining by now. She was of the older generation, probably early sixties, and her hand shook when she moved. They hadn’t seemed to know each other before today, but situations like this were sure to bring people together.

There were the mother and child, both sobbing all over each other by now, though they kept their tears as silent as possible. They were closest to the men with guns, but none of them seemed all that concerned by the small family.

There were next to a short stocky man with a beer belly and no hair left on his head. He was wearing a shabby suit and there was an odd flicker of his eyes, like a glitch on a TV or something. It was like he couldn’t focus his eyes properly. He was mouthing words that Harry recognised from his aunt’s church groups.  

On the other side of the bank, there was a man about Harry’s age with a teenage boy about eighteen years old, maybe a brother. They were huddled close together, just shy of actually hugging. Harry wondered why they weren’t just hugging, they looked like brothers and it wasn’t like anyone was going to condemn them from seeking a little comfort.  

There were two tellers sitting next to each other just in front of the counter. They’d been pulled out from behind by a couple of the big men just after Agent Ziva had been handcuffed. They were both young men and one was crying while the other one shook like a leaf. The shaking one was playing with a ring on his finger, and Harry realised it was an engagement ring.

Finally, there was a middle aged man, late forties if Harry was to guess. The man was clean cut and dressed like a lawyer or successful businessman. He’d barely moved since the initial scramble and didn’t look up from the ground. What Harry could see of the man reminded him painfully of Sirius and he turned away before he burst into tears at the resemblance.

Harry was pulled from his thoughts by the ringing of the phone. Trying to block out the sound didn’t work, so Harry looked up to see if they would finally answer the damn thing, only to see one of the unidentified men moved forward.

“Have we waited long enough? Harris-something, who Harry was starting to think was just a lackey to a bigger plan, said.

The man didn’t verbally respond, rather just nodded and motioned his gun towards the phone, indicating that Harrison should answer it. “Speaker phone,” the man said a moment before Harrison picked it up, his German accent heavy and thick.

Harrison didn’t seem all that surprised by the request, only nodding his head and answering the phone, immediately putting it on speaker.

“Who’s there?”

Harrison’s harsh voice was so different from the calm man that had been around since the beginning that Harry jumped a little in surprise. Glancing to the side, Harry saw Agent David’s eyes narrowed to slits and Agent DiNozzo leaned forward almost subconsciously.

Harrison was also looking in their direction, and smirked with a little too much smug satisfaction for Harry’s liking. If Harry hadn’t already wanted to murder the man before, he did now. That smirk was too reminiscent of Malfoy when Buckbeak was sentenced to death.

“It’s Agent Fornell of the FBI. We just want to talk.”

“Talk!” Harrison slammed his hands down on the counter and every person in the bank, other than Harry and the agents, jumped a little. “No way do you _just_ want to talk! You want to arrest me! I didn’t do anything!”

“I’m telling the truth, Keith.”

“Don’t call me Keith.” Harrison’s voice became low when he demanded that, almost like a growl. It was the first sign of real anger that Harry had seen from the man.

“Okay, I won’t call you Keith. What can I call you instead?”

“Nothing. You don’t get the right to call me anything.” This was said in the same low register. It was almost like the man had forgotten all about what was happening around him. That is until one of the other muscle men nudged Harrison with his rifle, causing Harrison to jump before lowering his head in a brief apology.

“Look, FBI man. I don’t believe you are telling the truth. I have two agents in here that were coming to arrest me, and the Jew-bag you sent in looked like she would be more than happy to kill me. Still does. Maybe I should kill her first, hm.”

Agent DiNozzo clenched his hands into fists and looked like he would lose his composure when the man insulted Agent David and threatened to kill her, and Harry had to admit he wasn’t far off. Agent David, though, smirked just a little. She placed a hand on Agent DiNozzo’s leg and shook her head, her eyes sparkling just a little. Something passed between them and Agent DiNozzo was once again the cool calm agent he’d been before. Harry wished he could understand that look so he’d as easily calm down.

“There’s no need to kill anyone.”

“I’m not going to listen to some other federal agent who just wants to arrest me when I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“NCIS wants to arrest you, not the FBI. We can help you.”

“Don’t lie! I’m done talking.” Harrison slammed the phone back into its holder and turned around. He lifted his gun up to face Harry and the agents, his calm, smug posture giving Harry the creeps just before the man pulled the trigger.


	3. Wounded but Alive

Thank you for the response for the last chapter. I’m glad to see I haven’t lost everyone in my long absence. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

* * *

No one spoke after the phone was slammed back in its holder. For a brief second, there was complete silence inside the command centre and only the soft chatter of the outside spectres and the police sirens could be heard, but after that second chaos erupted once again.

A gunshot, just one, fired from inside the bank, sent spectators into a screaming fury once again. Everyone in the command centre looked at each other before rushing outside in the vain hope that they could see who was shot.

Gibbs felt his heart in his throat. If Harrison had dared to kill one of his agents or even one of the civilians in that bank, Gibbs was going to make sure the man died slowly. As he jumped down the stairs, he saw McGee with his arms wrapped around an obviously distressed woman. It was only then Gibbs remembered the fiery red-head that managed to glare him into submission. Her husband was inside.

The woman reminded him painfully of what Kelly was like as a child and what she might have been like if she lived to this age. If the girl hadn’t been like Kelly, he would have sent her away like all the other civilians, but something about her made him falter like he couldn’t remember ever doing before.

Shaking his head, Gibbs turned to the bank to try and see who was shot, but the only people he could see were the security guard attached to the door and a woman cuddled into his side. Somehow all the other hostages had been obscured from view despite the fact that when the bank had first been seized Gibbs could see two young men, an old scruffy guy and most importantly, his agents.  

“Let me go!”

Gibbs turned his attention back to McGee and the woman when he accepted he wouldn’t be able to see anything and moved their way.

“You can’t go any closer, Ginny. I can’t let you get hurt. What would your husband say if you got hurt?”

That seemed to calm the woman down, if only in her struggles. Her eyes were already leaking tears but as her struggles lessened the tears seemed to intensify and by the time Gibbs reached her side she was silently sobbing and completely hunched over.

“I can’t lose him,” she whispered, and Gibbs' heart broke for the woman. He knew what it was like to lose your significant other. He’d never wish that on anyone.

“Ginny,” he said, remembering the name McGee had called her. He didn’t say anything else when she turned to look at her, only moving just that little bit closer and closing his hand around her shaking shoulder.

She stared at him for a moment before nodding and sniffling a few times. Gibbs thought she might completely dissolve into tears once again, but she didn’t. She didn’t throw herself into his arms like he thought she might either. It was almost like she knew, even within her grief at this moment, that she had to keep things together so everyone inside that bank could come out safely.

“McGee!” Gibbs snapped without turning to look at his agent yet. He’d seen McGee suffer his own little breakdown once Gibbs had taken over looking after Ginny. This was not the time to give up on DiNozzo or David, and he wasn’t about to let McGee give up on them even for a second.

“Go inside with Fornell and attempt to hack the cameras or get Harrison back on the phone,” McGee said without any more prompting.

Gibbs nodded but took a moment to look back at McGee and give the man a reassuring head tilt. _They’re okay,_ he said without verbalising anything.

McGee gave a nod back. _I know_. He turned around and moved back into the control centre with Fornell just behind him, Sacks on his heels.

“DiNozzo’s too pig-headed to die, Gibbs, and David wouldn’t go down from something like this,” Fornell said before disappearing back into the van.

Gibbs shook his head and his friend but smirked just a little. The man was right, after all.

* * *

Harry didn’t really register what had happened at first. He’d seen the gun move and the trigger being pulled. He’s heard the loud crack like a bad mimic of apparition and a tingle of something run through his body before he felt a pressure in his right shoulder, knocking him on his side. It wasn’t until he saw Agent David’s panicked face that he registered the searing pain ripping through his body.

He screamed. He couldn’t help it. One would think after the number of pain curses and dark arts that had been performed on him, he’d be used to pain, and he was. He really was, but something about the shock of it all, the sudden realisation that he wasn’t uninjured and unharmed anymore sent a shockwave of pain like he’d never felt before.

He’d closed his eyes, though he wasn’t sure when, and for a few moments all he could understand was his own screams and the pain localised around his shoulder. When he thought he’d finally managed to handle the pain enough to open his eyes, something heavy pressed down against the wound, causing him to scream once again. He vaguely heard a familiar voice whisper soothing apologies to him, and he figured someone was pressing against the wound to stop the blood flow.

When he finally felt able to open his eyes, the pain had started to lessen despite the pressure still strong against his wound. Maybe the shock had settled a little. He started to hear other noises other than the soft voice in his ear. Others peoples screams for one. It seems the other hostages were as surprised as he was by the attack. He also heard Agent Dinozzo cursing Harrison so he assumed the person putting pressure on his wound was Agent David.

“—shoot someone, shoot me! Not a civilian!”

Harry wanted to keep his eyes closed, but he knew there was more at stake than his own comfort. If he didn’t try and calm the situation back down, Harrison might shoot another hostage, and Harry didn’t think Agent DiNozzo would be that hostage despite how much he might demand it.

“I’m okay,” Harry tried to say, but he wasn’t sure if all his words came out in English. Still, Agent David leaned forward and looked into his now open eyes.

“I’m okay,” he said again, this time sure his words came out right.

“Stay still,” Agent David said, keeping the pressure against his shoulder. “There isn’t much blood flow but there’s no exit wound so the bullets probably still inside.”

“Great,” Harry moaned, but he followed her advice. She’d know more about bullet wounds than he would after all.

“The bullet probably hit a bone in your shoulder,” she said as she reached for an abandoned scarf just out of reach. She didn’t explain what that meant or how she even knew that, but Harry couldn’t find the energy to care all that much.

One of the tellers saw her plight and leaned forward with fear written all over his face but determined all the same. Harry couldn’t remember if that one was the one with the engagement ring or not, but it didn’t really matter in the end. He reached the scarf and tossed it into Agent David’s reach before scrambling back to his friend, shaking. Probably the engagement ring man then.

Harry snorted when he registered the words she’d said to him, shotting her an amused look to distract from the fear. He rolled his head over to look at Agent DiNozzo, catching his eye after a minute. “She’s not tasked with comforting the victims on a case, is she?”

“What?” Both Agents said at once; Agent David with a little bit of that dry exasperation back and Agent DiNozzo with complete befuddlement. He obviously hadn’t been listening.

“Don’t worry,” Harry said, wincing as he tried to shift on the spot. “Damn, I’ve been through a lot but I’ve never been shot before.”

“Everyone shut up!” Harrison yelled, cutting across any response Agent DiNozzo or David could have said. Harry had honestly forgotten about Harrison for a moment and all the other hostages who were still screaming or crying in loud ugly sobs. Harry hoped the man didn’t shoot anyone else.

Everyone attempted to follow Harrison’s order and other than the occasional sob that one of the hostages couldn’t quite suppress and the heavy breathing, it was silent.

“Good. Take this as an example. Don’t piss me off. You won’t like the consequences.”

Harry rolled his head around to look at Harrison and saw that despite the smug facade still clear as day, there was something more underneath it this time. Something almost like apprehension.

“The others do not look happy with Harrison’s actions,” Agent David hissed to Agent DiNozzo and Harry, as she wrapped his arm. She probably wouldn’t have included Harry in the conversation if she wasn’t currently tending to him. “The one with the German accent pulled him away as soon as his bullet connected, and they had words. I could not hear what they were saying, though.”

“Something about the boss not being happy.” Agent DiNozzo said in response, turning away from glaring at Harrison to shoot Agent David a smug smirk. “I’ve been learning how to read lips.”

Agent David opened her mouth to snap a response back, but in the process, she tightened the scarf tight around his wound and Harry couldn’t suppress a moan. Both Agents turned to him in unison and Harry smirked.

“Don’t stop on my account. Who am I to turn away a good show?”

Agent David snorted and shook her head while Agent Dinozzo let out a bark of laugh, looking like he surprised himself with his reaction. He suppressed any more laughter though when Harrison snapped his head there way. Thankfully Harrison seemed too engaged in the conversation he was having with the other men to come over and threaten them again.

“I’m sorry,” Agent DiNozzo said once he was sure Harrison wasn’t looking there way anymore.

“What on earth for?” Harry asked, rolling his head to look back at Agent DiNozzo. He wasn’t sure when he looked away, but the lights above him had caught his undivided attention during the brief silence.

“For this,” Agent David said, placing her hand on his wrapped shoulder for emphasis. Agent DiNozzo nodded with her and looked down.

“Are all agents stupid or is it just you two?” Harry usually would have been a little bit more delicate in replying but his wound was starting to throb.

The agents didn’t seem all that offended thankfully. Agent DiNozzo’s lips were twitching and he looked away, while Ziva’s fingers still sitting on his shoulder, stroked the bare skin there as thanks before pulling her hand away. Harry wasn’t sure when he lost his shirt, but he could feel his other sleeve still attached so they must have ripped his while he was in blind agony.

Harry smirked and looked towards where Harrison was now alone and glaring at the ground. One of the men was standing a metre behind him and was watching Harrison like a babysitter would to a child in trouble. The other two men had disappeared further into the bank.

“What was Harrison in trouble for?” Harry asked, looking back to Agent DiNozzo. “You said you were reading their lips right, so what were they saying?”

Agent DiNozzo huffed out a slightly sheepish laugh. “From what I can gather, Harrison wasn’t meant to shoot anyone this soon.”

“Is that it?” Agent David asked.

“I said I was learning to read lips, not that I was an expert,” Agent DiNozzo snarked. “There was one other thing, but it’s not all that important.” Agent DiNozzo looked decidedly uncomfortable now and he wasn’t looking at Harry at all.

“What is it?” Harry asked when Agent DiNozzo refused to elaborate. He glared until Agent DiNozzo sighed and rolled his eyes.

“Fine, Harrison didn’t plan to injure you.”

“He has got bad aim. I’m sorry it meant Harry was shot, but overall it is good for us, yes?” Agent David asked.

Harry thought back to the tingle of magic he’d felt just before being knocked down. The man didn’t have bad aim, Harry was just lucky his magic was a little more sentient than the normal wizard’s.

DiNozzo smiled, but there was no humour to it. “Very good for us. If Harrison had good aim, Harry here would be dead.”

* * *

The cameras were a dead end. It wasn’t that he couldn’t hack them. They were bank cameras, and not very secure ones for someone who knew what to look for. No, he had the cameras shown on the screen and they were even recording like normal, the wires hadn’t been tampered with in any way and the cameras hadn’t been shot. The problem was they were showing a black screen.

“McGee!” Gibbs said, storming into the surveillance van, Ginny following behind with her eyes still rimmed red.  McGee felt for her; having his partners in there was one thing, but the love of her life was in there, and the pair were on their honeymoon. It wasn’t fair.

“Cameras are online and running but showing nothing.” At Gibbs glare, McGee elaborated. “There’s something covering the lens, tape or a black cloth. There’s no way to know, nothing to see and nothing I can do about it without the covering being removed.”

“Keep them online just in case something changes.”

McGee nodded and turned back to the computers he’d used. He set the layout of the three cameras in a grid form, the one which should be showing the lobby as the large screen.

“Harrison?”

“Not answering.”

McGee turned to look at Fornell who was just standing from his seat after another attempt at a call. “He’s either freaking out about shooting someone or attempting to plan his next move.”

McGee happened to glance at Ginny at that point, checking to make sure she was okay, and he saw her confused frown. “Ginny?”

Gibbs and Fornell both turned to look at McGee, Gibbs giving him a small glare for involving the civilian before glancing to Ginny.

“It’s just. . .didn’t he seem a little too controlled during that phone call?”

McGee stared at her like she was crazy. Fornell seemed to be thinking the same thing, but Gibbs smirking just a little and watching her like he would watch McGee when he was a probie trying to connect the dots.

“Why do you think he was in control?” Fornell said, his eyebrows raised high.

McGee knew if he’d tried to say that Fornell would have said some snarky come back that would make McGee flush in embarrassment. “ _Were you listening to the same conversation we were McGee_ ” or “ _the man seemed anything but controlled_ ”, Fornell would probably say, but he was putting on the kit gloves for Ginny just like Gibbs was.

“I don’t. . .the words just seemed rehearsed or carefully chosen, like he wanted you to think something specific.” Ginny struggled with her words and looked down. “I just, do you remember when he told Agent Fornell not to call him Keith?”

McGee thought back to that moment and started to see where Ginny was going. Harrison had switched gears so fast when Fornell called him Keith then suddenly, he’d switched back to the pissed off, scared man he’d been before without any kind of trigger from their end.

“It was almost like he broke character at that moment and then remembered he had a role to play. It just sounded off to me, but you guys are the experts.”

There was silence in the van for a minute before Gibbs smirked at turned back to look at Fornell. “She’s right, it makes sense.”

Ginny perked up and flushed a little at Gibbs words. McGee couldn’t help smirking. Everyone who met Gibbs wanted to please him. She may be immune to his glares, but she wasn’t completely immune.

“We’re getting old if a civilian can see more than we can.”

Gibbs snorted. “Maybe you are, Tobias.”

“Your gut, Boss?” McGee couldn’t hold back the worry when Gibbs nodded. Nothing good happened when Gibb’s gut pinged.

* * *

(2,738)

WolfWinks -xx-


	4. Not a Fucking Vacation!

Tony was officially sick of this situation. Harrison was a complete prick, and his lackeys were no better. The civilian keeping him and Ziva company now held a bullet in his shoulder and his damned head was still pounding.

The civilians around the bank seemed to have calmed down by now. Even woman and her daughter, Tony still seethed when he thought about Harrison using that girl as insurance, had finally stopped crying. The woman was even looking around the bank and the other occupants like a doctor would her patients. He wondered whether she was one, or maybe a nurse.

“Tony, have you seen the cameras?” Ziva whispered, leaning forward as far as her cuffed hands would allow, almost over the top of the downed civilian.

Tony nodded, glancing up and seeing the black cloth over the one camera he could see. “They didn’t shoot them or remove the wires, just covered them. Why would they do that?”

Ziva shook her head, glancing towards where Harrison was standing near the teenage boy and older brother. “I do not know. It would make more sense for them to completely destroy them unless they need the cameras later.”

Nodding, Tony looked down in thought and caught the inquisitive eyes of the civilian. The man was still laying on the ground right next to Ziva, who would place a restraining hand on his uninjured shoulder whenever he tried to sit up.

“What’s your name?” Tony asked without any warning, realising he had no idea the man’s name despite sitting next to him for almost two hours.

“Harry,” he said before glancing around. “How do the cameras help us?”

“Our team outside would use them to see where everyone in the bank is. If they need to storm the bank, it is safer for them to know where all the civilians are,” Ziva answered, looking back over her shoulder to where the main camera sat.

Harry nodded and hissing through his teeth when the slight movement pulled his shoulder.

“Stop moving. You are worse than Tony when he is injured,” Ziva said, snapping her head back at the sound of pain and scowling when she saw him still moving around and wincing. She placed a restraining hand on his good shoulder and held him still as much as she could.

“Hey,” Tony said, turning to glare at Ziva, “I’m not that bad.” He couldn’t help smirking a little when he saw the disgruntled frown on Harry’s face, though.

Harry snorted. “Are you saying I am Agent DiNozzo?”

 _This kid’s quick_ Tony thought, smirking down. “Dude, call me Tony, and you’re still trying to sit up. You’re bad.”

Harry rolled his eyes, but he did still his movements, at least for now. “So, your boss is outside and needs cameras to see what’s going on?” there was an odd gleam in his eye, like he knew something they didn’t. “Can’t the agents just see through the window?”

Tony looked up at Ziva and saw the same suspicion on her face. “Yes, they should be able to see us and a couple of the other hostages, but they can’t see everything. If they try approaching the bank for a closer look they might endanger us in here,” he said eventually. “The cameras show a bird’s eye view. They’re vital in a situation like this, not to mention they’d be able to see who’d been shot.” Tony winced a little when he muttered the last part, glancing down at Harry. “Sorry.”

Rolling his eyes, Harry just laughed it off. “I hope Ginny hasn’t forced your boss to let her stay on the case. I don’t want her to see me injured.”

“Ginny?” Ziva asked, pushing Harry down once again when he tried to stand. Tony shook his head with a small smile. Did the man ever learn?

“My wife. Her temper and stubbornness mean she never does anything she doesn’t want to.”

Tony snorted. “My Boss wouldn’t let her stay, don’t worry. Gibbs’ a hard arse that could intimidate the president if need be.”

“Maybe, but I bet Ginny’s still managed to force her way in. She wouldn’t have left no matter who told her to.”

Tony laughed, albeit quietly. “You’re on. Boss would never let a civilian sit in the command centre.”

“This does not matter. The cameras are covered. There is no way for them to see us whether Ginny is there or not,” Ziva said with an eye roll to accompany her dry words. She never did understand the fun of a good old-fashioned bet.

“Maybe for now,” Harry said as he lifted his good arm to shake Tony’s hand, sealing the bet.

Tony wasn’t sure what to think of the man’s words and dismissed them as hopeful thinking. There was something about the glint in the mans eyes that made Tony wonder, though.

* * *

Ginny stared at the monitor showing nothing but black screens and time stamps. She wished there was a way for her to remove the coverings from here, but magic didn’t work through muggle things like these screens. She’d be more likely to blow it up rather than force a picture to show.

She ignored the conversation behind her, not interested in the discussion on Keith Harrison. The man was a psycho and she didn’t care what type of goal or agenda he had, if he hurt Harry, the man was dead.

“Ginny.”

Turning, Ginny came face to face with the grey-haired man. There was something scary about the man, but he reminded her a little of McGonagall. She wasn’t scared of him, though she might be if she pissed him off.

“Yes, Sir,” Ginny said. She may not fear the man, but a little respect went a long way.

“Don’t call me sir; I work for a living.” The man moved forward and sat on the chair next to her. “It’s Gibbs.”

“Gibbs,” Ginny repeated, wrinkling her nose at the odd name. What type of parent calls their child Gibbs, or McGee for that matter. Maybe they’re nicknames, but then that didn’t make much more sense either.

“It’s my last names. Most police and military personal refer to each other by their last names.

Ginny nodded, that made a lot more sense. “The Agent before, his last name is McGee?”

“Yep.”

Ginny smiled and nodded. That made a lot more sense. She wondered if this was common knowledge that she should have known, or if it was something most people didn’t know. She wished Harry was here. Ginny wilted at the thought of her husband.

“We’ll get him back to you.” Gibbs seemed to have noticed her souring expression.

Ginny snorted and shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. “You would think after all these years I’d be used to him being in danger, but each time I can’t help but wonder if he’s on his last life.”

“Your husbands been in danger before?” Gibbs asked. There was something a little sharper in his eyes now, like he wasn’t just trying to comfort her anymore.

“Yeah,” Ginny said, cautious of her words now. She probably shouldn’t have said anything, but Gibbs had a way of relaxing her barriers. “He’s a reckless man and was a reckless child, and his job is pretty dangerous, though he only started that a year ago.

“Where does he work?” Gibbs asked, leaning forward just a little. Ginny noticed he’d pulled a notebook out.

Chewing her lip, Ginny thought back to what Harry had said to customs when they’d arrived (flying on a plane was nothing like a broom and Ginny hated the thought of doing it again). “A branch of the Secret Service, but I’m not allowed to know which one.” _Lie, but what else a I meant to tell them,_ Ginny thought a little bitterly. She hadn’t thought about how hard it was to hide the Wizarding World when out in the Muggle one until this situation. _Then again, who could have predicted this whole situation?_

“Your husband is an agent?” Gibb’s raised voice alerted the others in the command centre and they walked over.

“Well, yeah I suppose. He’s been working on something specific recently,” _chasing down the last of the death eaters, not that I can tell them that_ , “but took off six months for our wedding and our honeymoon and we’re moving into a bigger home after and...” As her last words trailed off, Ginny’s eyes welled up. It wasn’t fair. “Then we get here, and this happens,” she said almost to herself, not noticing the looks being exchanged between the agents.

* * *

Staring at the two nameless men and Harrison was giving Ziva no more new information. Harrison and one other never left the room while the one drifted in and out. She hadn’t seen the third man since the beginning. Ziva continued to watch them despite not learning anything new. The one staying in the room would occasionally drift around the room and poke anyone who looked defiant with the rifle. Harrison stood by one of the teller desks observing everything with a smug smirk. Bastard. She couldn’t wait to see his cold body on a slab.

The phone continued to ring on and off every fifteen minutes, but no one made a move to pick it up. The men barely even acknowledged it when it started ringing again, but she could see the sound starting to grate on some of the hostage’s nerves. The young man with his brother continued to clench his hands and glare at any of the criminals that happened to be looking away. She hoped he wouldn’t do anything stupid. They didn’t need another hostage shot.

Ziva looked down at Mr Potter. The man was an enigma, more so than any other person she’d met before. There was something about him that made her wary and cautious. A dangerous glint that didn’t disappear even when he was smiling and joking with Tony, and yet she didn’t feel he was dangerous to her. He was a good man, she was positive about that.

His tolerance to pain was extraordinary. Lying on the ground with a bullet wound didn’t seem to phase him all that much. Sure, he screamed at first, more people do when they are shot, but after the initial shock, he seemed only a little annoyed. He continued to move against her hand in an attempt to sit up despite her protests. He just didn’t seem to care.

“Do you think they’ll answer the phone again some time soon?” Mr Potter asked, shifting once again.

“Stop that,” she muttered, not expecting him to listen. “I do not know. I hope so, the young man over there looks ready to explode.” Ziva nodded her head towards the boys, careful to keep her movements small and unnoticed by their captures. There was no need to alert them to the growing restlessness over there.

Tony turned to look in the direction she’d indicated, and Mr Potter once again tried to sit up.

“Mr Potter, if you do not sit still I promise to show you just how many ways I can kill with a paper clip,” Ziva snapped, finally sick of the man refusing to sit still. She smirked at seeing his face pale, if only slightly.

“Please call me Harry,” he said before a thoughtful look came over his face. “How many ways would that be Agent David?”

“Ziva, and would you not like to know,” she smirked, adding a little bit of a flirtatious lit into her voice. She didn’t mean anything by it; she knew he had a wife after all, but it was a good distraction, and it worked like a charm for Mr Pott. . .Harry as well.

He chuckled and lay back down, staying still. “Are all agents this interesting?”

Ziva smirked and went to respond when there was a commotion near the entrance to the bank. Ziva snapped her head up to see the security guard attached to the door trying to stand and the elderly woman trying to stop him.

“What’s going on?” Harrison snapped, storming towards the pair and bringing his gun in front of him.

The woman flinched and little and looked to the ground, but she shuffled forward towards Harrison and a little further away from the man. “His arms. He can’t bare to keep them in this position anymore,” she whispered, keeping her eyes lowered and submissive.

Ziva’s eyes narrowed, wishing she could move. She felt Harry shift next to her, but she was so focused on the group at the door that she didn’t prevent him from sitting up and watching as well.

“So?” Harrison said, shrugging and glancing at the security guard like he was a bug. “That’s his problem not mine.”

“Please,” the woman said, looking up for the first time. “Could he just have a chair or something so his arms aren’t being pulled like they are?”

Her movements were stiff and careful. Ziva was sure she needed a chair just as much as the security guard, but she didn’t mention her own discomfort. Ziva was impressed. The woman was terrified and yet she stood up for this man. Most people wouldn’t bother.

“I suppose that’s fair,” Harrison said, glancing behind him and raising an eyebrow at his babysitter/guard.

The man disappeared behind a corner and entered what Ziva assumed was a break room, coming out with a white fold up chair, the man with the German accent following behind with an inquisitive look. The chair looked quite heavy, but the man carried it without any effort towards Harrison. The other man stopped beside the bank counter.

Harrison turned his back on the pair and the man with the chair. “Give the man what he wants, Otto.”

Ziva narrowed her eyes when she saw this Otto shoot Harrison a disgusted look before turning to the pair huddled on the ground. Taking another two steps forward, Otto was right in front of the man and in the perfect position to slam the chair into the man’s head, knocking him out immediately.

Screams erupted around the bank. The elderly woman who’d been sitting with the security guard whimpered and flinched towards the security guard, then scurried away when Otto glared at her.

“This is not a fucking vacation people! We’re not here to cater to you’re needs, you’re here to help us in our goals.”

Harrison stood in the middle of the room staring at every single hostage. He lingered his eyes on Tony and Harry then on her, sneering a little when he saw her hand clenched around her necklace. She hadn’t even realised she was holding it again until that moment.

“What are your goals then?” the young man yelled from across the room. He’d obviously lost whatever control he had over his temper.

Ziva closed her eyes. She wished there was something she could do. The man was barely out of his teens, twenty-one at most. He had such a long life to live.

“What’s your name?” Harrison asked instead of answering the man’s question, his tone drastically dropping into cool indifference. It was like how he’d talked when Fornell called him Keith, though a little more controlled, for Ziva to feel anything but dread.  

“Matthew,” the man said, glancing at his brother beside him before straightening his shoulders and staring at Harrison with pure defiance. He ignored his brother’s pleas to stop.

“And your brother’s name?”

This time the man didn’t answer. He shifted slightly so he could shield his brother with his body somewhat, but he kept his lips firmly closed.

“Boy, what’s your name?” Harrison snapped when he didn’t get an answer from Matthew.

“Anthony,” the teen said, his voice small but strong and almost as defiant as his brothers.

“Ah like our dear Special Agent over there, isn’t that right Anthony DiNozzo? Are you a Junior as well, Junior?” Harrison said, gesturing with his gun at Tony.

Ziva jolted when Harrison used Tony’s full name. They’d never shared any details other than what they usually did, and Tony never referred to himself as junior. If Harrison knew something like that about Tony, then what else did the man know about Tony, or her for that matter?

“And you,” Harrison said, turning towards the woman and the unconscious security guard. “What’s your name?”

The woman licked her lips and kept her eyes on the ground. “Margret,” she practically whispered.

Harrison smirked and turned back to face the boys. “Margret, what happened when you spoke against me?”

Ziva paled and she heard a curse from her partner, but Harry practically growled at the man, surging forward before being held back by Tony’s fast reaction. Harry didn’t even seem to remember the bullet in his shoulder at that moment.

“Please,” Margret whispered, also understanding what was about to happen.

Ziva watched as Matthew jumped in front of his brother. He didn’t stand and kept his eyes lowered, but he didn’t even try to hide the anger in his voice.

“I’m sorry, okay,” he snapped out. “Don’t hurt him.”

“Oh, I won’t,” Harrison said, but Ziva’s eyes widened when she saw the man with the German accent approaching from behind the boys. She hadn’t even heard the man move. “I don’t have to.”

The man grabbed Anthony’s arm, yanking him backwards and lifting him off the ground and shaking him by the arm until the teen’s shoulder slipped out of place.

Anthony screamed the moment his shoulder dislocated and screamed again when the man threw him on the ground, withering around in agony. He looked so much younger at that moment, and Ziva’s heart ached even as her temper burned.

“No!” Matthew yelled, running forward to help comfort his brother. “Bastard,” Matthew sobbed, stroking Anthony’s hair away from his face in an attempt to calm the teen down. It didn’t seem to be helping all that much, but Ziva knew from experience what a dislocated shoulder felt like and didn’t blame the teen.  

Ziva realised she’d been so focused on the brothers, she hadn’t even seen Tony restrain Harry again and was now whispering into his ear, trying to calm the man down. She didn’t think he’d have such a strong reaction, but she had to admit, if her hands were not restrained, it would be hard to keep her down as well. Why did Harrison insist on hurting and threatening children?

“This should be a reminder to you all. Screw with me, I screw with someone else in this bank. Next time I won’t hold back.”

Ziva glared at the man as he walked away. She wished she knew what was going on. They needed to do something about the situation and fast. Next time someone might die, and she wasn’t going to let that happen.

* * *

(w.c 3,143)


	5. Who is Harry Potter?

Learning that Ginny's husband is an agent brought a sense of both hope and dread. When Fornell and McGee approached after hearing what their conversation was about, Gibbs shook his head at them, telling them to wait. Ginny didn't need to know how much more danger her husband was in because of his profession.

He lay a careful hand on Ginny's shoulder as she sobbed, rubbing a thumb into her shoulder for a moment until she'd calmed somewhat. He didn't say anything, and she didn't either, only turning to him and letting a weak smile show.

"Need anything?" he asked, pulling his hand away.

"Other than the obvious," she smiled again at him, "nothing, thank you. Get back to work and get my husband back to me."

"Yes ma'am." He couldn't help the lifting of his lips at her tone. She reminded him so much of his little girl.

Gibbs stood and waved Fornell and McGee to the other side of the surveillance van. He would have stepped out to have this conversation, but as a civilian, Ginny couldn't be left alone in the van.

"Her husband's an agent in the British Secret Service. She doesn't know what branch, classified apparently."

Fornell's eyes narrowed and glanced at Ginny. "She barely looks older than nineteen. How old do you think her husband is?"

"Not much older. They've known each other for years apparently. She said he was a reckless child like she knew from personal experience," Gibbs muttered, also glancing to Ginny. Fornell had a point. "I'd guess they're in their early twenties, just based on Ginny's apparent age."

"Then how on earth is her husband on such a team that's handling something so secretive the branch he's working with is classified?"

McGee glanced at Ginny and then back to Gibbs. "Do you want me to do some digging?"

Gibbs almost nodded straight away but held himself back. He wanted to know, sure, but would that truly help with this situation. Eventually, he did nod. "Be careful, we don't want to cause an international incident, but we need to know. There's a small change this is related, though I doubt it."

McGee nodded and moved over to the closest computer. "I'll also start trying to figure out who else is in the bank and how many people are there." McGee stopped for a moment and swallowed. "It might help if things go sour."

Gibbs' face hardened at the thought of his agents being in the bank if they stormed the place. Situations like that always encouraged the perpetrator to shoot hostages, and Gibbs knew exactly who Harrison's first target would be.

"Get Abby to help."

McGee froze for a second, fingers poised over the keyboard before he spun around and shot Gibbs a betrayed look. "You want me to tell her what's going on?"

Gibbs winced internally when he realised he hadn't yet informed Abby of the situation. She'd been swamped with work recently that she probably hadn't even realised they weren't back, and he'd been too preoccupied to let her know. He didn't let his lapse show, only smirking and lifting an eyebrow at McGee.

"Of course you do," McGee muttered, turning to the phone with a look on his face like he expected it to jump up and bite him before swallowing and dialling Abby's number.

Gibbs turned away and glanced at the woman staring at the computer screen showing the black cameras like she could will the covering away. His small smirk fell. He was going to get these people out of this bank if it killed him.

* * *

Anthony's whimpers filled his mind. The poor boy hadn't stopped crying since his shoulder had been dislocated and the other brother, Matthew, hadn't stopped apologising in a whispered, broken voice.

Harry's shoulder didn't hurt near as much as the pain of the two brothers. He  _hated_  people who hurt children. He'd been hurt far too much as a child and he hated it when others inflicted pain on other children. More than that, though, he hated when he couldn't stop it from happening. When he had to sit back and watch as children went through more pain.

Harrison and the bastard that pulled the child's arm out of its socket like he was a doll were going to wish they were dead by the time Harry was through with them.

"If you keep glaring at him like that the man is going to spontaneously combust," Tony whispered to him.

The man's hand was still wrapped around Harry's wrists like some makeshift handcuffs. Harry barely noticed Tony restraining him when that brute had pulled Matthew up, but after the fact, Harry was quite impressed by his reflexes and strength. Not many people could restrain Harry so easily nowadays, even injured like he currently was.

"Good," Harry hissed, glaring harder at Harrison in the hope that Tony's prediction came true.

"Careful, Harry. If Harrison sees your aggression he might choose to hurt another hostage. We can not afford that."

Harry looked away from Harrison at Ziva's words. He glanced over at the still unobvious security guard and Margret who was caring for him before staring at the large window instead. He saw an eerie haze over the window but dismissed it as his anger blurring his vision. "I hate him."

"As do I, but we must play this safe." Ziva placed a hand on his uninjured shoulder and he looked towards her. "We must be careful to avoid angering Harrison anymore, or worse, his watchers. I believe they would be more worrisome should they become angry."

Harry winced at the thought. He agreed with Ziva about that. Harrison was most definitely a lackey in this and yet they were letting the man run the show. It didn't make sense to Harry, but he had a feeling he was missing a few of the pieces still.

"How are you feeling?" Tony asked, looking down at Harry.

"Fine, why?" Harry frowned and looked between the two agents when they shared a look with raised eyebrows a shrug.

"You were shot not that long ago. Remember? You know, the hole in your shoulder?"

"Tony!"

Harry snorted at the two of them. "You guys are great. Nah I'm fine, I barely feel it anymore." It wasn't even a complete lie. Sure, it still throbbed but his anger at the mistreatment of Anthony and the security guard was masking a lot of the pain.

"What are you?" Tony asked, earning a wack on the arm by Ziva.

Harry snorted again and rolled his eyes. He wriggled his wrists around until Tony, who only just seemed to notice he was still holding onto Harry's wrists, let go, and lay back on the ground at just the right angle to see the security camera in the corner covered by a black cloth.

"I'm Superman," Harry drawled, rolling his eyes.

Tony shook his head, looking down at Harry with a wicked smirk. "No way, man. You're too short to be Superman."

"Hey!" Harry almost sat up again but the glare from Ziva halted him. "I'm not that short."

"Sure," Tony said with an exaggerated look at Harry's sprawled figure.

Before Harry could respond, Ziva turned to look at the two with a confused frown. "Who's Superman?"

Tony gasped completely over the top and leaned forward. "You don't know who Superman is? How can you not know who Superman is?"

Harry turned to two of them out, staring at the camera. He needed to get that black cloth off the camera, but he had to do it without anyone's notice. He could cast a notice-me-not charm but he would need to make sure no one was looking when he cast it. He couldn't risk any unwanted attention or exposure. That would just make everything worse.

He knew it wouldn't be too hard to pull the cloth off once the notice-me-not-charm was on, but he needed to be careful about using his magic. There was no way he wanted to cause an international incident because of something like this, although if Harrison tried to harm anyone again Harry might just change his mind about that.

Harry turned back into the agent's conversation when he heard the playful tone turn serious. He didn't turn his head or indicate that he was listening. He had a feeling the two were holding back on their information sharing because he was a civilian (supposedly). He didn't blame them, but he wasn't going to pass up the change to hear some more honest truths.

"Did the third guy look familiar to you, Ziva?"

There was a brief pause and during it, Harry thought back to the third man. He hadn't reappeared after that first phone call, Harry realised, and he couldn't help wondering what the man was doing out the back.

"No, should he?"

Tony hummed and made a small ruffling noise like he was shifting on the spot. "I don't know. I could be wrong but I'm sure I've seen him before."

"Mugshots? I do not usually forget a criminal's face." Ziva sounded doubtful but Harry could hear the curiosity in her voice.

"Not a criminal. I feel like he's someone we've worked with before. Someone we're interviewed or discussed a case with. I just can't figure out where I might recognise him from."

"Maybe he has been stalking you and you've seen him often enough he's become familiar. Harrison knew your full name, remember."

"I don't think it's that. Harrison didn't know we were even going to be chasing him until he was discovered by McCray and killed the family. He probably did some research or is friends with a hacker."

The agents are silent for a while after that. So much so that Harry goes back to planning how he's going to remove the covering. It's not until Tony sighs and shifts again that Ziva speaks.

"Do not worry too much about it now but keep it in mind. We do not know what will be important."

"I know,  _Zeevaa_." Harry rolled his eyes when he heard Ziva wack the man again. He couldn't help wondering if all American agents were this special or if it was just these ones.

* * *

"You could have at least sent a text," Abby muttered to McGee over the phone.

McGee rolled his eyes, knowing that if Abby could see him he'd be cursed to Hell for the action. She'd been, understandably, upset at the situation and blamed McGee completely for not telling her sooner. She'd been muttering like that since she started helping him search for the hostages.

"Would you really want to find out about the situation through a text?" McGee asked while sifting through an ATM camera facing the bank. He couldn't access the bank's video footage before the bank was sieged. It looked like someone had erased all footage from this morning onwards. He couldn't figure out why someone would remove footage from the cameras but not turn them off. It was something he'd already mentioned to Gibbs and Fornell and both were just as stumped. The ATM was easily accessible thankfully and showed the whole entrance to the bank.

"Well, no, but you should have told me sooner."

"So you've said," McGee muttered, wincing when he realised Abby had heard him and hung up on him in a huff. Well, at least he didn't have to listen to her mutterings and music anymore.

McGee spotted Gibbs approaching him from behind and pulled up the few photos of the people he'd managed to identify.

"What've you got?" Gibbs asked, leaning over his shoulder like this was no different to any other case.

"Abby's working on Harry Potter. She's being careful, but she hasn't managed to find anything yet. It's a little unusual, even his birth certificate and childhood information seem to be hidden."

Gibbs frowned but he didn't say anything, only nodding at him to continue.

"I've identified a few of the hostages in the bank so far, the two tellers and the security guard along with one man who'd booked an appointment with Harrison to discuss buying a building just downtown."

McGee brought up the image of the ageing security guard. He had a small scar on one cheek but otherwise was an average middle-aged man. "George Whitehouse, forty-two. Married no children. Was in the Army for three years before being dishonourably discharged due to a drinking problem. He's since got help and been sober for almost eight years now after he almost killed him and his wife drunk driving. Started at the bank two years ago and has yet to miss a day of work."

McGee brought up the next picture of one of the bank tellers. He cringed at the unfortunate bank ID photograph. The kid was pale and freckled with braces on his teeth and a piece of what looked like carrot in them. "Aaron Macmillan. Twenty-three. Single with no children. This was the most recent photo I could find, but it's at least three years old. He's completely non-existent on social media but he seems to have an account attached to a local bookstore where he's constantly going in to buy books. He's been working at the bank since he finished high school."

Bringing up the next bank teller's photograph was no better. At least he didn't have anything in his teeth, but the man seemed to be having a very bad hair day with the way it was sticking up everywhere. "James Gareth. Twenty-five. He's everywhere on social media, twitter, Instagram, Facebook. Everything. He even has his own YouTube channel where he talks about what working at a bank is like. He seems like an outgoing person, though he only has a few friends. He got engaged last week to a Teearna Jones. He's been working at the bank for only a year."

Finally, McGee brought up the license photo of a middle-aged man with an expensive suit. "This is Ian Brenham. Fifty-three. He's a businessman who owns multiple properties around Washington, New York and Seattle. Most are apartment buildings and are well cared for and for all purposes he seems like a decent landlord. He's divorced from his wife, Georgia Killigan, but they have three children together, nineteen, fifteen and thirteen. He pays child support and has the children for most weekends and holidays. He was in the bank today to talk about a buying another apartment complex."

Gibbs was silent for a moment, studying the faces of the people he'd managed to identify. "Do we know how many people are in the bank?"

McGee nodded. "There are six other people, other than Mr Potter and Tony and Ziva who I haven't managed to identify. There's an elderly lady, two young boys, a scrappy man who wandered in the bank only minutes before the hostage situation was instigated and a mother with a young daughter, I would say she's barely fifteen if that."

Gibbs clenched his hand on the back of the seat but didn't say anything. He didn't need to. McGee knew exactly what he was thinking and it wasn't good.

"Keep working on it and then send as much information to Ducky. I want to know if any of these people will try and act the hero. That's the last thing we need today." Gibbs gave McGee's shoulder a quick pat before turning away.

McGee sighed and turned back to the computer screen. He thought about ringing Abby and asking for an update from her end but couldn't bring himself to listen to any more of her muttering. He collected the information he had and sent it over to Ducky with an urgent flag. He also sent Palmer a quick text asking him to let Ducky know about the email and its urgency. Then, he brought up the pictures of the two boys. They looked like typical bothers, nothing noteworthy or striking about their features to help with his search. The best he could do is a licence photo search but that would take way too long. He only received Ian Brenham information so quickly because the man had made an appointment with the bank's online system.

His mobile started ringing and looking at the caller ID, McGee couldn't help but groan.

"McGee," he said into the phone despite knowing it was Abby. Maybe if he sounded bust and stressed she would give him a break.

"We have a major problem," Abby said straight off, her voice oddly serious.

"Gibbs!" McGee yelled out, bringing everyone in the van's attention to him. Gibbs and Fornell wandered over, not that McGee noticed as he'd already set Abby up on speaker phone.

"What you got, Abs?" Gibbs said as he walked over, somehow knowing it was Abby that had news and not McGee.

"Where's your phone, boss-man? I've been trying to call you for the last ten minutes."

McGee winced and looked towards the shattered remains of Gibbs' mobile in the corner where he threw it. The stress was getting to all of them.

"Abs," Gibbs growled.

"Alright. I've been looking into Mr Potter and it seems he's a big deal over in Brittan. So much so that he's been knighted by the Queen!"

McGee's eyes widened, and he saw Fornell sway back and glance towards Ginny who still seemed to be staring at the camera.

"Why?"

"That's the thing, I don't know. All the information on this guy is redacted to hell. I was going to talk to the director about getting some more information but before I could he came down personally and told me to stop looking. There's nothing I can do, Gibbs. Director Vance was grinding his toothpick like a distressed horse."

Gibbs' brow furrowed, and he glanced back at Ginny as well.

"Did Vance give you a reason, Abby?"

There was a short silence on the other end of the line, and for the first time, McGee realised Abby didn't have any background music on. "He said not to open a can of worms we couldn't shut again. That's all." Abby paused for another moment before her voice lowered a little more. "He sounded scared, Gibbs."

McGee stared at the phone shocked. What could scare Vance so much that he'd personally visit Abby's lab to tell her to stop searching? McGee looked up at Gibbs and Fornell, who were sharing a concerned looked. McGee knew they were all thinking the same thing.  _Who is this guy?_

* * *

(w.c 3,094)


	6. The Leader Emerges

 

Harrison was, for the first time in hours, alone minding the hostages. The third man who they hadn't seen since the first phone call walked out and collected Otto and the man with the German accent. Harrison looked over but a deadly glare from Otto had the man halting and turning back to observe the hostages with a fierce scowl. For the first time during the whole hostage situation, he'd looked scared.

Harry glanced over to Anthony only to see him passed out on his brother's lap. It wasn't the best sign but at least the boy wasn't in any pain anymore. The security guard was still out cold, and Harry's shoulders ached when he looked at the man's. He would not be surprised if the man had some serious complications with his arms once this was all over.  _If he manages to survive._

"What do you think they're discussing?" Tony asked, turning to look at Ziva.

Glancing over to look at the pair of agents, he saw them both looking towards the back of the bank and away from the camera and Harry himself. A quick glance towards Harrison saw the man looking at the two bank tellers, also away from Harry and the camera.

Blocking out the conversation behind him, Harry took his chance to slip his wand out of his sleeve. He'd been close to bringing it out many times before this moment, but he wasn't a rash teenager anymore. He knew to wait for the right moment now. In a normal situation, he'd be able to cast the spell he wanted without his wand, but he wasn't willing to risk it while injured and surrounded by muggles.

The Notice-Me-Not spell was an effective one but wasn't usually cast in public. It relied on the underlying human behaviour of ignoring things which are unimportant in everyday life. To be successful, the spell needed to be cast while no one was watching the area. If even one person was paying attention the spell would fail.

The spell wasn't completely foolproof. There are people out there who do notice every detail of everyday life. Those people are unaffected by the spell, but Harry was almost positive there wasn't anyone in the bank who possessed that skill.

Harry took another cautious look around the bank, making sure everyone's attention was directed elsewhere. He lay his wand beside his leg and aimed towards the camera, or more accurately, the area surrounding the camera. He couldn't risk casting the spell verbally, but the spell wasn't a powerful one. His intent should contain enough power for the spell to work. Focusing on the area and what he wanted, Harry cast. 

He felt his own eyes drift away from the camera and smiled. It worked, and no one had noticed. The spell would stay now until someone removed it.

"Did you say something?"

Harry cursed, fumbling a little with his wand, though he was careful to keep it out of her sight. He must have muttered something to arouse her suspicion. "No?" he said, tilting his head to the side like a confused dog. Sirius always managed to pull off the 'I'm-not-innocent-and-we-both-know-it-but-you're-going-to-let-me-go-anyway' look when he tilted his head like Harry was now. He hoped it worked similarly for him.

Ziva's eyes narrowed but she just huffed and dismissed him. "Whatever," she said, turning to look at where the three men left again.

Tony snorted to the side of Harry and he glanced over to see him shaking his head. "That look always work for you?" he asked with a smirk.

Harry returned it. "Wouldn't you like to know."

When Tony also turned away Harry glanced to the bank entrance and sighed. He'd need to wait to pull off the covering now. He wouldn't risk using magic and arousing anyone's suspicions. The men were back. All three of them.

* * *

McGee continued to search through databases to try and figure out who else was in the bank. He'd managed to identify the mother and daughter pair from the mother's hospital ID. Dr Lisa Turnbull was a surgeon and was just commended for a research paper into a theory that may improve the stability of organ transplant surgeries. She was married with two children, her eldest being Kayla who was in the bank with Dr Turnbull.

He sent her information along to Ducky as well as everything he could find on the girl (which wasn't much, only some school records and a slightly neglected Facebook page).

Sacks arrived barely half an hour ago. He'd been at the FBI building with the director. Their last case had been connected to a terrorist group but was now being shifted to another team to deal with. Sacks had to hand the information over and answer any questions the new team had before he arrived. The terrorist cell was a huge one, white supremacy and deadly in their attacks, though so far the FBI had managed to stop them. The only reason Fornell's team was able to be pulled was because there was no evidence of attacks happening any time soon. 

Sacks was now calling all the identified hostages' families and asking them any information that might help with the investigation. No one was hopeful the families would have any helpful information for them.

"McGee."

Turning, McGee saw Fornell approaching him, Gibbs not far behind. "Are there other entrances to the bank?" Sacks looked over from where he was making phone calls, though he didn't move over. 

Nodding, McGee turned to the screen and pulled up a blueprint. "There's a back door, in a sense. It's an emergency exit. It was designed as an escape in case, well, something like this happens. The problem with that is—"

"Harrison knows about it."

"Yeah. If he was smart, and everything that's happened so far suggests he is, then he would have somehow barred that back door."

"Are there cameras around the area?"

McGee was already shaking his head. "The door opens up into an alleyway, one that has only a Chinese restaurant that also backs on it. They don't bother with cameras, and the only cameras the bank has are inside."

There was silence in the van. McGee took a moment to glance over at Ginny, only to see her staring at the window outside for once instead of the camera.

"Is it weird that we can't see anyone through the window anymore?" McGee mused, not realising at first that he'd spoken aloud.

"Yes. No one saw your agents, or the other hostages being moved, and we could see them when the bank was first sieged.

McGee, still staring at Ginny, saw her twitch at Fornell's words. She was listening and being very careful about making sure no one noticed she was listening. He wondered how much of their other conversations she'd listened into.

"I don't care about that," Gibbs said. "I want my agents and those hostages out and I want them out now."

Gibbs turned to look at McGee, who finally pulled his eyes away from Ginny. The look he was receiving at the moment wasn't a pleasant one.

"How close are you to identifying the other hostages?"

"I've only identified Dr Lisa Turnbull and her daughter Kayla." McGee knew Gibbs wouldn't want any more details about the hostages at this point. "I sent the young boy's photos to Abby as she couldn't do any more on her other task" Just in case Ginny hadn't heard their previous conversation about her husband, he thought to keep that bit of information under wraps. "She might have something. The other two, the elderly woman and the scrappy man are both practically non-existent online. I can't find anything."

"Send it all to Abby and let her search."

"Boss?" McGee couldn't help the brief flash of fear that he hadn't worked hard enough, and Gibbs thought Abby could do it better before he shook it off. Gibbs wasn't like that.

"I need you to try and figure out what Harrison was using that money for if anything. Something isn't adding up with all this."

That was genius. They'd traced the money all over the world until it landed back in DC into an account under an alias which they quickly discovered was Harrison, but they'd stopped there. They were trying to solve the murder first and foremost and the money trail had given them the suspect they needed, McGee had planned to continue following the trail when they had Harrison in custody just for the sake of the case, but if there was more going on then what they first thought, the money was key. That's what got McCray and his family killed and Harrison discovered.

"Yes Boss," McGee said, turning to the computer and starting to dig. He hoped he found something, they really needed a break. 

* * *

Ziva, by nature, was a suspicious person. She does not trust anyone until she knew their every secret. She had not trusted Gibbs for a long time because his secrets were well hidden, but McGee was easy to trust. Everything from his childhood bullying, his teenage experiences, both good and bad, up until now was easy to find. He was far too trusting of the world.

It was easy to be suspicious of Mr Harry Potter. She liked him, and there was no doubt that the man was furious at the men and Harrison, but he was hiding something. He kept fiddling with his sleeve, a move he probably did not even realise he was making, and he looked around the bank like, well, like she was. She would not be surprised to find out he was military or part of the police force in Britain, though she suspected Tony would be shocked. He did not act like he was trained, but he was too calm. Harry was young, early twenties at best, and he looked younger. The fact that he was so calm and collected through this process was a puzzle, one she indented to figure out.

"They're back," Harry said.

Ziva glanced at him and saw a hint of disappointment, but she dismissed her thoughts on Harry at the moment and turned to look at the men. All three, plus Harrison, were standing together talking. Otto, the one who hit the security guard over the head, was holding a small box, it looked like a safety deposit box.

"What are they doing with that?" Tony was leaning forward, almost straining to see what number the box had on it. Unfortunately, the number was tucked against Otto's side. There was no way they'd be able to see it.

"I do not know, Tony. Why don't you ask them?" Ziva said as she rolled her eyes. She did not see the purpose of asking pointless questions.

"Hey, Harrison!"

Ziva whipped around to stare at Tony, almost in sync with Harry and Harrison. "What are you doing?" Ziva hissed, her hands clenched by her side to prevent them from grabbing at her necklace. She didn't need any more of that type of attention.

"Asking him," Tony said as if it was obvious. "You told me to."

Ziva glared at him.  _Unbelievable._ "I was joking."

Tony just grinned and turned back as Harrison stood in front of them.

"Did I say you could speak?" Harrison snapped, glancing back at his companions for a second before glaring at Tony some more.

"You didn't say I couldn't," Tony replied with an easy smirk.

Harrison's attention was not completely focused on Tony. He kept glancing back, obviously wanting to be part of the conversation.

"I'm saying it now. Shut it or the next bullet goes through his head." Harrison flicked his hand towards Harry, and Ziva shifted to hopefully block Harrison's view, even a little, although she knew it was pointless.

"No need for that," Tony said, much more relaxed than he should be, though she did see him shift to move in front of Harry. "I just want to know what you're doing with that box."

"None of your damned business," a new voice said.

Moving to look up, Ziva saw the third man, the one they'd yet to see since the first phone call, standing behind Harrison. Ziva peered at him, remembering Tony's words about recognising him, but she couldn't see anything familiar about the man. She wasn't someone who would forget a face.

"Gabriel," Harrison muttered, his voice shaking a little as he stepped back and to the side so he was slightly behind the new man, Gabriel.

Ziva stiffened her pose and she saw Tony sit up a little straighter as well, even Harry's eyes sharpened, though his body did not move a muscle. This man was the leader, there was no doubt about it.

The new man's eyes roamed over Ziva and Tony, though he barely looked at Harry, clearly deeming him unimportant as he was a 'civilian' and injured. "Keep your mouths shut. All of you," Gabriel said, his French accent muted but still distinguishable. Gabriel moved away after his words, Harrison following meekly behind.

Ziva watched the man walk away, noticing the way he favoured his right side, though the walk looked natural, almost like it was an old injury. She watched as they approached the other two and continued their discussion. Otto and the other man seemed to lower themselves around the man as well. He was clearly in charge of whatever was going on.

"What was that?" Harry asked after a moment, eyes glancing between Ziva and Tony.

Ziva didn't answer, not sure what to say. She was starting to get a clearer picture though. The men's movements and actions were starting to remind her of men from Israel. Men she was ordered to kill in protection to her country. 

* * *

(w.c 2,298)

**Author's Note:**

> WolfWinks-xx-


End file.
